


Unity

by GuardianFenrir



Series: The Tales of Team Wayward [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), League of Legends, NieR: Automata (Video Game), Overwatch (Video Game), RWBY
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Intimacy, Multi, Polyamory, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:27:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27586076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianFenrir/pseuds/GuardianFenrir
Summary: 3 months after the end of the Splinter Wars, Fenrir, Aqua, Weiss, and Marianne finally take a moment to settle down, taking the time to pull together as a family and perhaps end their journeys for good.
Relationships: OC/ Marianne von Edmund, OC/Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)/ Weiss Schnee
Series: The Tales of Team Wayward [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947196





	Unity

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This piece does contain major spoilers for the events of the first three novels of the Tales of Team Wayward (Currently being worked on), and does contain descriptions of some of the major events that take place during the story.

Marianne had experienced a frenzy of emotions over the course of the past year, from fear of the new world that she had been thrown into with her teacher, to excitement at the opportunities presented to her, as she was no longer bound to her name, to a dread over the very same thing. But none had been more powerful, more notable to her than the love that had been instilled in her, for her friends, sisters… and now the love of her life.  
Unfortunately, there was also a modicum of jealousy that would spark on days such as this one. He and the other two women he had devoted his life to had been summoned by yet another pair of members of their somewhat complicated family. Overwatch Commanders Brigitte Lindholm and Bea Lindholm had been rounding up some of the remaining villains that had escaped during the Splinter Wars, the great battle launched by the forces of Talon, Overwatch’s oldest enemies, as well as Salem, an immortal being that had been brought here along with the rest of the World of Remnant. The leadership of the former had almost all been brought in, and the former had perished in the battle only a few months ago. Well, perhaps perished was the incorrect word, although… if what Fenrir had said was true, then she would indeed no longer return, and that meant that the forces of Grimm would no longer be the organized, hellish threat they once were.  
That was a long story she had already begun documenting since the war had ended, while he and the others continued their search for the last of Talon’s forces. She knew they were supposed to come home soon, but she so very often wished she did join them on their quest instead of staying here at their home in Vale. When the war had ended, though, each of the members had begun following their own paths, and when she had said she wished to lay down her weapon in favor of improving her own quality of life, something she had indeed felt like she had been successful in doing.  
Despite her minor feelings of jealousy, though, she knew that he would always return. After all, the ring she bore on her left hand was a promise they had all made to each other to always have each other’s back. Several colored stones ran the length of the ring, each representing one of the members of their family: a blue for herself, another blue for Aqua, a white each for Weiss and 2B, and so on. She settled her eyes on one of the three purples, this one slightly lighter in color than the others, knowing this one was representative of her love, still out in the world. Aqua had enchanted the rings so that when everyone was far apart from each other, the stones in their color would glow, signifying that they were always together, even when they were apart. She was actually almost relieved to see that two of the stones: Byleth and Akali’s, were currently fairly darkened, indicating that they were close. Byleth was likely at the academy, while Akali was probably in the house next door to her own. It was a small thing, but she had always appreciated the fact that her stone was next to Fenrir’s, with Aqua’s matching blue stone on the other side of it. As small as it was, it did indeed make her feel close to him always, and Aqua had made it very clear she tried to keep the close ties together when designing them.  
Aqua. Aqua always made her feel bad when she felt jealous, not because she would say anything harsh or scold her, but because of how pure and kind Aqua was to her, with no sense of expectation. She was in many ways like an older sister to Marianne, while Fenrir’s other significant partner, Weiss, was… harder to define. Sometimes she also felt like an older sister, sometimes a sort’ve twin, other times… she wasn’t so sure. While she could be sharper than Aqua, she too was incredibly loving and kind to her, and both of them clearly loved each other as much as they loved Fenrir, and that was the true source of her jealousy. The joy they took in being around each other, the fact that there wasn’t jealousy between any of them when they were together, and she knew they didn’t feel any jealousy when Fenrir spent time with her or any of the other people in their lives.  
Sometimes it made her feel… lesser to the others.  
The one time she had vocalized her feelings, it had been to Byleth, her teacher, one of the other purple stones on the underside of the ring, and she had listened with great care as her former student expressed her fears. She had suggested, unsurprisingly, that she tell Fenrir of her concerns, and she had since been working up the courage to do so when next she would see him. That was two weeks ago, and every day since, she was scared her heart would leap out of her throat if she had to contain her feelings for another day.  
But now, here she was, or more accurately, there they were. Their ship was now visibly in Vale’s airspace, and there was a very minimal chance it was anyone else’s, given that Vale tried to restrict any foreign air travel around the city, instead diverting them to the rebuilt Beacon Academy. This one was on a beeline for the city landing pads, not too far from their home on the outer edge of the city overlooking the sea.  
She stepped out onto the patio at the back of their building, taking in the scent of the garden at the center of the four interconnected buildings their family had taken when they moved into the city. Winter was ending and spring arriving, which meant the plants were beginning to bloom.  
Oh!  
Wait, winter was ending, what day was it, then? A week since Fenrir’s birthday, she had almost forgotten. She had of course sent him a birthday message, but what she needed to do was make sure his gift was ready before she went out to greet them. She pivoted on her heel before her foot even touched the dirt path, causing a creak from the wood of the platform overlooking the yard. She slipped back inside the house and ran up the stairs, entering her room and retrieving the pair of boxes she had placed underneath her bed. The first, the smaller of them, she delicately placed on her bed for later, excited yet nervous to gift this to Fenrir after he had some time to settle in. The second, she removed the cover from, checking over to make sure it hadn’t been damaged since she had last checked it. She smiled in relief, seeing that it looked totally fine since this morning when she last looked. She had indeed become rather frantic about checking it, but she wanted to make absolutely certain everything was perfect when she finally got to have her husband home again.  
Husband.  
She wished she heard the word out loud more often.  
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. “I am about to see my husband again,” she smiled. “I’m about to welcome my husband home. I, Marianne, his wife, am about to welcome Fenrir, my husband, home.” The words filled her with joy, joy that she still feared was unearned, but she was doing everything in her power to appreciate and love herself the same way she knew in her heart Fenrir loved and appreciated her. After all, even among all of the others in his life, Byleth had not-so-subtly pointed out that she was among those who he not only spent the most time with, but seemed genuinely happiest with.  
“I have earned my place in life,” she said to herself. “And I will cherish and protect my life and theirs every day.” She felt a swell of confidence rush through her. “I am Marianne von Edmund-Schnee, and I love my family.”

Marianne always enjoyed taking walks through town at sunset. The sun scraped off of the tops of the buildings, filling the air with a beautiful orange glow that she was almost certain she could paint now, she had seen it so many times. The streets became somewhat quieter at this time of day, too, as most everyone was either settling in for dinner, or just going home after a long day of work. The shops were still bustling, and restaurants had flourished as chefs from all over the world had seen Vale as something of a melting pot, a place to share their culinary arts and create a sense of unity across the ever-changing landscape.  
The other arts had flourished similarly as well, from music to artworks, to the still intimidating world of electronics she had been introduced to upon first arriving here. She still wasn’t certain she’d ever quite get used to these devices, but literally everyone else in their group save her and Byleth were familiar enough that she knew she’d always be able to learn. It still absolutely blew her mind than Bea was a robot, no wait, an Android, she had been very clear to specify. A woman who was not a woman, but… was. She was just as much of a person as the rest of them, be it her, Fenrir, or Blake, who she had also been initially quite confused by, but her time in Vale had made the Faunus a very common occurrence in her day-to-day life, and thus easier for her to wrap her head around.  
Among all of the major things in her life that had changed, however, was her faith in the Goddess, which had been somewhat shaken after Byleth had revealed she was one with her, and Rhea’s subsequent reaction to her public reveal of this fact had made her feel even worse about her preconceptions of the faith. Whispers had already come to pass that Rhea had been manipulating facts from the beginning, and she had personally seen many leave the Church after something of a schism had formed between Seteth and Rhea. He had not left the Church, but many of those who looked up to her saw his reaction as a sign that the Church was slipping, failing, even. There was word they were being recruited into a shadowy organization to revolt against them, but this was little more than hearsay. She still prayed, and the others respected her choice to do so, but she wasn’t as sure what she believed in, what with one of those closest to her had revealed she was, to a degree, the Goddess reborn.  
But she had still found peace despite all of this. She had found meaning in her life, first by being trusted by and eventually becoming one of those who had saved the world, then in the love she had felt after telling Fenrir how she felt, and now in her pursuit of bettering herself, becoming the kind of person she could be proud of and love unconditionally. Life was complicated, most certainly, but it was also better than it had once been, and she found peace in the fact that while life had continued changing, she would always have a constant with her new family.  
She reached the landing platform mere moments before the ship she had been awaiting touched down, a sight that was admittedly still incredibly foreign to her even after a year of living in this world. Still, despite her trepidations over the world, she could feel a surge of excitement as she gazed upon the symbol on the side of the ship: a wolf emblazoned with the snowflake of the Schnee family, surrounded by droplets of water representing rain, or more specifically, representing Aqua’s Keyblade: Stormfall. It was a symbol they put together to represent their unity, their dedication, their devotion to one another no matter what challenged them, and it had been recognized as a symbol not just of their ties, but that the world itself was slowly coming together, that unbreakable ties were forming across the worlds that had come to this one, and a handful of other emblems alike to theirs had begun to spring up in the months past.  
As she had thought about earlier, it was another of those things she had become a little jealous of. Seeing those three always remain so inseparable, to the point where they had united their individual iconography into a symbol of hope that transcended nations sometimes made her feel inadequate, despite the constant assurances from Aqua, Byleth, and of course Fenrir himself. She had wanted to feel as close to her husband as Aqua and Weiss clearly were, and while most days she was able to feel she was, there were times, especially when they were away, that she felt disconnected, secondary.  
The hatch of the ship hissed as it depressurized, snapping Marianne out of her thoughts. Actually… it was more than that. She had begun to feel joy, pure and exciting, as she realized she was going to see the man she loved in only a few short moments, erasing all of the doubt and fear from her mind all because of a single sound.  
The door opened and deployed the off-ramp to the shuttle’s loading bay. It was all Marianne could do not to sprint around to the other side of the ship and throw herself onto him, clattering her handbasket to the ground and ruining the perfectly good flowers she had picked for him earlier that day. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long, as he was the first to exit the ship, smile on display and eyes alight as he met her gaze.  
“Marianne!” he shouted, dropping the pack he was carrying on his shoulders, shedding the weight and allowing him to reach her faster. Much as she was able to resist before, she was not able to resist as he charged at her, causing her vision to become reality as she, too, dropped what kept her weighed down, running to meet him and throwing herself into his arms with enough strength she was almost sure he would fall over. He was prepared, however, and spun her in a half-circle as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she nestled her cheek against his. “I missed you so much,” he spoke softly, almost near-tears, it sounded. “Every day I was gone, I thought about you, I’m so sorry I couldn’t respond very often, I promise I wasn’t mad.”  
Marianne withdrew from her comforting snuggle and shook her head. “I know. You always tell me what you’re feeling,” she hugged tighter. “I’m so glad to see you.”  
“And I couldn’t be happier right now, being here with you.”  
Aqua and Weiss had also departed, giving them space while they interacted and loved on each other, Weiss taking the opportunity to lean into Aqua affectionately. The bluenette smiled at the smaller woman’s not-so-subtle craving for physical attention, settling a hand on her hip and pulling her into a small hug, earning a satisfied grunt.  
“Didn’t take him very long, did it?” Weiss sighed.  
“Hey, he hasn’t seen her in a while,” Aqua replied gently. “Let him have his time with her. After all, you know how he feels about her, and how she feels about him. It’s the same as when you first met him, or when you and I started out.”  
Weiss smiled fondly. “I know, I know, let me tease him,” she stuck out her tongue. “He needs to be brought down a hair every now and then.”  
“And yet you’re only being snide to me,” Aqua’s elbow found itself in Weiss’ ribs, causing a surprised yip from the latter. “No need to be mean.”  
Fenrir had guided Marianne back to the fallen basket, helping her gather the few flowers that had spilled out. “No, please,” she held out a hand to stop him. “Let me. These are supposed to be for you, after all.”  
Fenrir’s hand stopped in its tracks as it reached for a flower, changing direction and reaching for Marianne’s outstretched hand instead. “Oh,” she blushed, almost recoiling her hand.  
Fenrir looked over the flowers she had picked: violets, forget-me-nots, and lilies of the valley, uniting their flowers along with something humorously on the nose. “Marianne… thank you. This is such a sweet gift to come home to.”  
“It’s nothing, really,” Marianne shook her head. “After all, these are all in our garden.”  
“The garden that we have all put ourselves into,” Fenrir replied. “Every one of us has put our energy and toil into growing them, helping them become the most beautiful and full plants in the city. That includes you. All the effort that you put into them is what has helped them become as marvelous as they are now. So yes,” he looked into her eyes. “It is something.”  
He leaned forward slowly, giving her the time to withdraw or reject his advances, but she did not do either, instead leaning forward to meet him after only a brief moment of hesitation. The kiss was long, slow, impassioned, both of the participants letting their hands find purchase wherever they could. She melted as she felt his hand cradle the back of her head, clutching at the collar of his armor and drawing him in further.  
“I missed you,” Marianne spoke barely above a whisper as they broke the kiss. “I’m so excited to bring you home.”

Marianne had clung to Fenrir’s arm the whole walk home, quite often just taking a pause to look up at him as they made their way through the city streets, savoring the feeling she received upon seeing his smiling face once again. She realized that is what she missed the most about him as she stared: the way his smile seemed to brighten the world around him, and as a result, brightened her world as well. He had caught her looking a few times now, and had always said nothing, but given her a quick kiss on the forehead, or a squeeze of her hand. A simple, affectionate sign that he was aware of her, something she appreciated greatly.  
“You know, I just realized how hungry I am,” he had said as the neared their home, yawning a moment after. “And tired. Was there anything you were planning for dinner tonight?”  
“Oh, um,” she stumbled over her thoughts, realizing she hadn’t planned that part of the day. “The truth is… I forgot to consider that. I’m sorry.”  
“No, no need to be sorry, my love,” he squeezed her hand again. “That just means we should all come up with something together. Any ideas?” He cast a glance over his shoulder at Aqua and Weiss, who had been not too far behind the others.  
“Something easy,” Weiss replied. “I think I’m more in need of decent food now than amazing food later.”  
“I wouldn’t have said it the same way,” Aqua shrugged, “but I agree. Something fast would be good, I’m also pretty hungry.”  
“I can go and pick something out, if you’d like,” Marianne offered. “You should all rest at home, you’ve been away so long.”  
“I’ll go with you,” Fenrir volunteered. “I could actually use a walk after sitting around for so long.”  
“Are you sure?” she looked worried. “I- if you’re feeling worn out, you should stay while I prepare dinner.”  
“I think I’m hungrier than I am tired,” Fenrir replied. “Besides, you’ve been home alone long enough. That in mind, I’d like to offer you my company.”  
“Oh, well,” Marianne found a smile creeping across her face. “Then… thank you. I would be very happy to accept.”  
“Glad to hear it,” Fenrir smiled back, stopping within view of their home. “Well, any particular tastes for the evening? Besides quick, that is.”  
“Actually, yes,” Aqua was the first to reply. “I think soup sounds wonderful.”  
“That does sound good right now,” Weiss agreed. “A pleasant broth, but it has to be filling.”  
“As I recall, there’s a really good place right around the corner for noodles and soups,” Fenrir suggested. “’A Long Wok,’ or something like that. That sound agreeable?” The women standing in front of Fenrir shook their heads in agreeance, while Marianne gave a quiet ‘yes.’ “Alright then, Marianne and I will get a nice pot of soup and be back soon, okay?”  
“We’ll settle in and set up for the night,” Aqua nodded, reaching for Fenrir’s hand. “I love you. Be back soon, okay? I’m looking really forward to us being a family just… living together again.”  
Weiss slid around Aqua’s other side, getting on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I am too, y’know, so don’t keep us waiting too long.” She flashed her ever-playful grin.  
“I promise I won’t take too long,” he replied, kissing both of their hands in turn. “See you back at home.”

Fenrir hadn’t realized just how much he missed Marianne until meeting her eyes on the landing platform earlier. There had not been one time that he had seen her after a period away, whether long or short, that her eyes hadn’t come alight with joy, as though somehow he managed to rejuvenate her spirits. She would smile up lovingly with no prompting, just… happy. It was a welcome change from the woman he had met so long ago, who was afraid her very presence was a burden to all of those around her.  
Fenrir felt her cheek press into his shoulder, snuggling into him as they continued their walk. “How did your mission go?” she asked.  
“Mm, okay, I suppose,” he replied after a moment of thought. “We haven’t captured any of Talon’s lieutenants, but we did manage to take out one of their larger safehouses. Overwatch is hoping it leads to finding Maximilien or Doomfist, or even Sombra if we’re really lucky.”  
Marianne’s smile began to fade. “Then… are you only here for a little while?”  
“Actually… Brigitte and Bea think that was their last major facility,” Fenrir stopped, sliding his arm around her waist and drawing her in for a hug. “So… unless there’s an emergency, we’re home.”  
If she had a bright smile before, what she wore on her face now could only be described as elation. She leapt into Fenrir’s arms almost hard enough to knock him over, and it probably would have if he didn’t use her momentum to spin her in a half-circle, peppered with a handful of kisses from the bluenette as she was held up in the air.  
“You’re… you’re home,” tears were welling in her eyes. “You’re home, with me. And… and you’re-“  
“Staying,” he nodded. “I’m staying home, with you, as a family, the four of us.”  
Marianne had always been uncertain of her place in the fairly large group, but when everyone had begun discussing their plans post-war, she was surprised to hear that she was not the only one who wanted to settle down sooner than later. While most still had tasks or goals in their lives they wanted to achieve first, Fen, Aqua, and Weiss had all vocalized the desire to take their lives easy, if not permanently, then at least for a fair amount of time following their quest, something everyone in their lives had agreed was fair as they had more or less saved the world.  
Despite her fears of inferiority, she had to admit that she did love them too, though definitely not the same way. So when she heard that they would be there with her as well… she had to admit, happiness managed to outweigh worry.  
She kissed Fenrir fully, taking his head between her hands to hold him steady before planting the kiss on his lips. “I’m… I’m so happy to hear that,” the tears were now streaming down her face. “Fen, I… I don’t know what to say.”  
“How about…” he gently set her down on her feet. “You tell me that every day, I will wake up to your face,” he took her hand in his own. “That you’ll be there to love me,” a kiss on the back of her hand. “And I’ll promise in return…” he dropped her hand and went for her other one. “That I will be there every day,” he lifted it up to his mouth. “And I will love you with all of my being, every day,” another kiss to the back of this hand. “How does that sound?”  
“I…” she was still at a loss for words. “Incredible. More than I could ever ask. And… and I would like that very much. I will do everything I can to meet your expectations.”  
“Well, that should be easy to do,” he replied, leading them back on their walk again. “Because I just expect you to be… you. Because that’s the woman I love, and the woman I married.”  
Marianne seemed to be walking on air after the kiss that sealed Fenrir’s promise, almost skipping along the sidewalk as the two fulfilled their goal of obtaining food for their home. There was more than a single time Fenrir felt her tug him along faster, trying to get them back as fast as they could manage so they could live that very same promise as soon as possible.  
In truth, she had to remind herself to slow down more than once to enjoy the walk, appreciating that it too was a part of their life, and that it didn’t just start the second they came back and sat down together, pleasant as that might have been. Still, she could barely contain her excitement at the thought of spending time with absolutely no sense of duty come the morning. If she really wanted, she could insist on a day spent in bed, simply comfortable and snuggled up while the world outside toiled away, or she could garden and talk long walks like this one.  
She knew of course that she couldn’t do that always, after all, she still had dreams she wished to fulfill that meant there would be more work to come in her life, but at least she didn’t have to worry about being left behind, or that the world would stop turning if she didn’t take up arms.  
She could, as Fenrir had requested, be her.

“How is Dorte?” Fenrir asked not long after they had picked up dinner and begun their steady pace home. “I’ve been thinking about him a lot this past week.”  
“Good,” she smiled. “He’s been less anxious lately. I think he finally grew used to his new surroundings. I’ve taken him out for a few rides in the forest so he didn’t feel cooped up in his stable, and I think that helped.”  
“Glad to hear it. He’s far too nice to be so worried all the time, much like someone else I know.”  
Marianne shook her head. “Actually, I don’t feel so worried any more. If Dorte can settle into a new world, I should be able to as well, right? And… I have so many people to go to if I’m ever frightened, just like Dorte has other horses.”  
“He’s been making friends?”  
Marianne nodded. “Yes. The other horses accepted him almost immediately. A lot of them are from other worlds too, so they understand when one of them is afraid of their new surroundings. They all seem to have very strong bonds with each other.”  
“Y’know, this still sounds like a metaphor for you, too,” Fenrir chuckled softly, prompting a small laugh from Marianne in return.  
“Yes, I suppose that fits me too,” she agreed. “Everyone has been so kind since I joined, and it’s clear they all care about each other very much. I must admit that I’m sad they aren’t all doing the same as us, retiring here to Vale.”  
“Well, among so many people, it’s unfortunately likely that not everyone’s goals will line up completely,” Marianne heard the sadness in his voice, clearly longing for them as well. “But we’ve all promised to be there for each other any time one of us needs them, so it’s not like they’re gone or anything.”  
“I know,” she gave him a reassuring squeeze of the hand. “And everyone has chosen the path that will make them happiest. For some of them, that’s always being busy trying to make the world a better place, and for others… it’s just being happy to be with those we love the most.” Fenrir looked surprised at her words, slowing his steps as he processed them. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?”  
“No,” he replied as if in a daze, shaking his head as he composed himself. “No, entirely the opposite, in fact. I’m sorry, it’s just… well, to be honest, I’m not used to hearing you speak so eloquently. Usually there’s just a little bit more tripping over yourself.”  
“Oh,” Marianne blushed. “Was it bad?”  
“No!” his expression was still surprised, but this time it was directed at her self-doubt. “Absolutely not! Marianne, that was beautiful, and you’ll have to forgive my inability to reply because I actually feel very choked up over that.”  
Marianne mentally stumbled over herself, unable to decide if she should apologize or comfort the man she could see was emotionally distraught over her words. Assure him, she eventually was able to decide, stopping him in his tracks for a hug that she wrapped around his waist. “I chose what makes me happiest,” she spoke barely above a whisper, as if to keep it a secret between only the two of them. “And… and that’s you. You make me happier than I’ve ever been before, and I want you to love me the same way I love you.”  
She heard the bag he held rustle as he set it down on the street, causing her to shift as he bent down. His arms wrapped around her fully, pulling her into a tight hug. “I promise that every day, as long as I live, I will do everything I can to let you know how much I love you, and one day, you can tell me if I’ve done a good job loving you the same.”  
She squeezed him back, burying her face in his chest and savoring the warmth of having his body so close to her own. “I would like that very much,” she echoed her earlier wish. “But… one thing.”  
“Hm?”  
“Instead of telling you one day,” she looked up at him. “How about I tell you every day? Maybe I won’t always remember to say it, but… what if I show you?”  
Fenrir smiled, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “I would like that very much.”

Fenrir and Marianne had returned to a very quiet home, the only signs that anyone else was here indicated by the sound of snoring coming from the couch.  
Marianne took the bag in her hand and headed towards the kitchen, making sure to leave a kiss on Fen’s cheek as she left while he investigated the sounds of sleep. He was not surprised to find Weiss snuggled up into Aqua’s side, fast asleep. Aqua was gently petting her hair with one hand while reading a book with her other, but ceased the former action as I loomed over the couch, resting my arms just above Weiss’ head.  
“Let her sleep just for a little bit,” Aqua requested as she reached her hand towards the man, who knelt lower in response. She pulled his forehead to hers, smiling as she pressed herself up into him. “Truth be told, I’ve had to resist falling asleep since she passed out. I didn’t think that would be a good decision before eating on my part.”  
“Well, I’m happy you’re awake,” Fenrir smiled back. “Means I can give you lots of kisses.” He removed his forehead and replaced them with his lips, holding at the center of her own and leaving several kisses there. Aqua giggled happily and pulled him down further, shifting his lips to hers for one long, sweet kiss.  
“I’m pretty happy about it too,” she said. “I like your kisses.”  
“I like yours, too,” he replied. “You might want to wake her soon, though. Don’t want dinner to get cold.”  
She shot an amused look at me. “Fen, please. This is a house that contains four magic users, we’re never going to have to worry about cold food.”  
“Says one of the three whose specialty is ice,” he smirked.  
“Specialty, not only,” she raised her finger, only able to hold a serious expression for a moment before grinning. “But you are right, I suppose the real joke would be that anything frozen will likely stay that way.”  
“Well, except Weiss,” Fenrir mused, to which Aqua laughed.  
“Yes, except for the snow angel,” she ran her fingers through Weiss’ snow-white hair.  
“Mnn… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me that,” a groggy voice came out from under Aqua. “S’always either Fen, Yang, or Brigitte. Blake once or twice, too.”  
“’Morning, sleepy,” Fenrir came around to their side of the couch, bending over to give her a kiss on the forehead as well. “You feeling okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Weiss said as she sat up, now resting her face on Aqua’s shoulder instead of under it. “It’s just been a while since we’ve been home for an extended period of time. You can’t blame me for getting comfortable the second I sit down,” she spoke through a yawn.  
“Comfortable and asleep are two different things, love,” Aqua spoke gently, still acknowledging Weiss’ sleepy state and giving her a matching kiss on the forehead. “But I’m happy you are now. It’s time for dinner.”  
“Ah, good,” she sat further upright. “I am still hungry. Help me up, Fen?” she outstretched her arms at him, finding his hand ready for her own almost the same second she reached. With a heave, she was brought to her feet, and she immediately took the taller man into an embrace, nestling her face into him and humming softly. “Mmm… someone stop me before I get comfy again.”  
“I’d like to, but I also like this hug,” Fenrir kissed the top of her head as he hugged her back. “Ah, but I am also hungry, so… sorry Weiss, c’mon. We can snuggle up in bed tonight.”  
“Can it be after dinner?”  
“We can snuggle up after dinner,” Fenrir beckoned Aqua towards the dining room. “Be right behind you. C’mon, snow angel.”

Weiss was slow to start, giving the two bluenettes time to speak as they settled into their chairs while waiting for the others, something they had rarely gotten the chance to do.  
“Have you been doing alright, Marianne?” Aqua asked.  
Marianne nodded with more confidence than Aqua had been expecting. “Yes. I’ve been taking the time to learn about the world of Remnant while you have been gone. It’s… funny seeing the similarities to my own, despite the fact that it’s clearly more advanced. Though the biggest difference is their approach to religion. Fodlan’s culture is extremely more focused on their belief systems than most of the worlds we’ve come across, and if they’re one extreme, Remnant is the other. No belief system seems to have survived longer than a few decades.”  
Aqua had clasped her hands together and nodded with interest. “I’d assume that has a lot to do with the people of Remnant never comfortably settling down for that long.”  
Marianne nodded in agreement. “Yes, that was my observation.”  
“Does that affect your perceptions? Your beliefs?” Aqua raised an eyebrow.  
“No,” Marianne thought for a moment. “Well… a little, but what really changed that for me was my teacher. Having the Goddess within her… it makes everything I’ve come to know about the Church of Fodlan to be… complicated.”  
“And worse yet, we all have to keep that fact a secret,” Aqua added.  
“Yes,” Marianne agreed. “So there are very few I can go to besides everyone in this building to discuss my feelings. That’s been… difficult.”  
“I understand that,” Aqua found difficulty in responding. “I want you to know that we’re always here for you, though. You can always talk about your problems with any of us.”  
“Thank you, Aqua,” Marianne met her gaze. “I appreciate your willingness to help me.”  
Fenrir and Weiss made their way into the dining room then, perfectly timed to be noticed by the pair already waiting for them. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Fenrir said as they sat down. “Weiss is a little groggy still.”  
“You would be too if you had spent 18 hours awake hunting the bad guys,” she scoffed.  
“I have been up for 18 hours, Weiss,” Fenrir stuck out his tongue at the small woman, who returned the action. “And I plan on crashing violently on my bed after dinner, thank you.”  
“Marianne, is there anything you need from us before we sleep?” Aqua asked, shooting a glance at Fen and Weiss. “Presumably before the rest of us sleep for half a day.”  
“No, not at all,” Marianne shook her head. “Please, settle in without any worries, I’ll handle everything here for the next day or so.”  
“Hey, don’t over-exert yourself, okay?” Fenrir slid his hand under the table and settled it on her leg. “We just need a night to recuperate, and then we’ll all take care of everything together.”  
“Please don’t over-exert yourself either,” Marianne settled her hand on Fenrir’s. “If you need to take time to recover, please take it.”  
Fenrir’s lips curled up in a small smile. “Okay. But I promise it won’t be more than a day.”  
Marianne mimicked his smile, rubbing his hand gently. “I believe you. But please don’t hesitate to ask for anything from me, okay? Not just now, either. Any time you need me.”  
“Absolutely,” he confirmed. “Now, in the meantime, food. I’m getting hungrier the more I smell it.”  
“What did you end up getting?” Aqua asked, running her nails along Weiss’ back and causing the woman to slump forward more the longer she did.  
“Well, the shopkeep there recommended his house special,” Fenrir replied. “So… family sized portion of that, plus a few sides just because I had a craving.”  
“So how much is a family-size, exactly?” Weiss managed to compose herself just long enough to answer. “Like four medium bowls-worth?”  
“Uhhhh…” Fenrir began to respond.  
“Not exactly,” Aqua spoke before he finished the sentence, swinging herself around her chair and making rustling sounds as she retrieved the meals from her bag. “It is four bowls, yes,” she wheeled around, placing the first in front of Weiss. “But, well…”  
“…that’s the size of my head,” Weiss was practically dumbfounded.  
“Yeah, he doesn’t serve small there,” Fenrir chuckled. “Anything we don’t finish tonight can go in the fridge until tomorrow, don’t worry.”  
“Oh no, you don’t understand,” the emotion returned to Weiss’ voice. “I’m not afraid of the size, I’m afraid I’m going to eat it all tonight.”  
“Why Mrs. Schnee,” Aqua’s tone had become exceedingly dramatic. “That much food for such a civilized lady? Surely you must portion yourself for the sake of manners?”  
Weiss tried to frown at her, but couldn’t hold the expression. “Manners can go to hell, today I eat to replenish a month’s worth of work.”  
“Heh, feisty Weiss might be one of my favorite Weiss moods,” Fenrir grinned, to which Weiss shot a pouty look at. “And there seems to be a lot of her to go around today.”  
“What you have is hungry, sleepy Weiss,” she corrected. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meal to absolutely decimate.”  
“I think we should all get into our meals,” Aqua cast a humored glance in Fenrir’s direction “and stop provoking the monster known as hungry Weiss.”  
“Fine, fine, but only because I’m hungry too,” Weiss’ side-eye towards Fenrir as she sipped her first spoonful could have been translated as murderous towards anyone not present. “Alright, now it’s because my survival instinct is telling me not to.” Weiss nodded, pleased with the addendum.  
Marianne had been quietly watching the trio, enjoying the banter that was so clearly born from their closeness, the bond they had forged after a year of being at war together now. She was able to laugh with them now, something she hadn’t felt like she had earned the right to do before. Fenrir had done everything he could to make her feel included, involved, and it seemed that he had succeeded in doing so. The light in her eyes as she laughed at Weiss’ quips and Aqua’s returns was all the indication he needed to know that she felt comfortable here now.  
Dinner with the four was merry, bright, something that all of them needed after months of fighting even after winning their war against evil, and none of them felt excluded or out of place that night, indeed savoring their time together as a family.


End file.
